To celebrate the February 7th DVD and Blu-ray release date of The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall, the Zoo is giving away ONE copy of the Blu-ray, courtesy of Universal Studios Home Entertainment, to ONE lucky winner.
In celebration of the 25th Anniversary of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera, Cameron Mackintosh produced a unique, spectacular staging of the musical on a scale which had never been seen before. Inspired by the original staging by Hal Prince and Gillian Lynne, this lavish, fully-staged production set in the sumptuous Victorian splendour of London’s legendary Royal Albert Hall features a cast and orchestra of over 200, plus some very special guest appearances. Read the rest of this entry »
Last night on American Idol, it was the Women’s turn as the Top 12 ladies competed for America’s vote. Like the night before, when the Top 12 Men performed, (plus the bonus performance of Jermaine Jones), America will vote for their five favorites, plus the Judge’s Wildcard selections.
Sadly we lost the man who performed “Last Train to Clarksville”. Tigerbeat cover boy Davy Jones died today at the age of 66. Tigerbeat magazine alumni and the man who was busted in a train station with heroin is still surprisingly alive. While Leif Garrett is nobody’s Steppin Stone we are guessing he in no stranger to the crack rock. 
Incredibly sad news has hit the classic rock community today. Monkees member Davy Jones has died of a heart attack at 66. Ironically the Monkees were created in 1966. The Monkees were fabricated for TV band that helped define a budding musical genre and a generation.
One of the most overlooked pieces of equipment a musicians uses is his cables. Spend all that you want on a guitar and amp, the tone will only be as good as the signal connecting them. Choosing cable can be a bit perplexing. Most music retailer and websites will have tons of options. Adding to this conundrum is pricing. A 10 foot guitar cable can retail for anywhere from $5 dollars to $125. 
D’Addario is thrilled to announce the signing of Grammy-winning and Billboard-charting bassist, Victor Wooten. Victor Wooten, a five-time Grammy winner, formed the super-groups Bela Fleck and the Flecktones and later SMV with Stanley Clark and Marcus Miller. In addition to his Grammy-nominated solo recordings and tours, Wooten has won every major award given to a bass guitarist including being voted Bassist of the Year in Bass Player Magazine’s readers poll three times and the only person to win it more than once. In 2011, Rolling Stone Magazine voted him one of the Top Ten Bassists of all time. In 2000, he formed his acclaimed Bass/Nature Camp in response to musicians wanting to learn his unique style and elusive techniques. This eventually expanded into Victor Wooten’s Center for Music and Nature. 
D’Addario is proud to announce Planet Waves’ American Stage cables were named winners of Winter NAMM’s Best in Show “Gotta Stock It” Category; Best in Show Awards are part of a NAMM University educational program featuring six panelists who represent single-store operations, small- to mid-sized chains and one of the industry’s top trade magazines.
Ken Selcer’s Don’t Forget About Me resonates with the freshness of a summer breeze, the sparkle of a cold spring well, and the deepening hues of tomorrow’s perfect sunset. Like the beauties of nature, its sounds will gently beckon the listener back again and again.
Evans Drumheads and PureSound Percussion are excited to announce the signing of John Wicks, drummer of soul/indie pop band Fitz and the Tantrums. John Wicks is a performing, touring, writing, and founding member of Fitz & The Tantrums (Dangerbird Records), based in Los Angeles. He is also a busy studio session drummer who has recently played live and/or recorded with Bruno Mars (Elektra) #1, Cee Lo Green (Elektra), B.o.B. (Atlantic), Meshell Ndegeocello, Chocolate Genius Inc. (One Little Indian Records), Burt Bacharach, Jessie Baylin (Verve Records), Money Mark (Brushfire/Universal), Cory Chisel (Columbia) Heather Porcaro, Diana DeGarmo (American Idol), and many more. 
BET will celebrate the life and accomplishments of Grammy-award winner and legendary talent Whitney Houston with a special lineup of programming beginning Sunday, February 12 . “We are all simply heartbroken by the sudden passing of Whitney Houston. She was among the greatest artists of our time. She was an icon, trailblazer, international phenomenon—an incomparable talent that will forever be missed. Our prayers and condolences go out to her daughter, mother and her entire family. We will always love her,” said Debra L. Lee , Chairman and CEO of BET Networks. 
On Monday, February 13th at 9:30 PM/7c, VH1 will premiere the “VH1 News Special -”Whitney Houston: Death of a Diva,” hosted by Janell Snowden and featuring the latest updates on events surrounding her death as well as reactions from attendees at her mentor music mogul Clive Davis’s annual pre-Grammy Awards party last night as well as tributes from officials, artists and music executives and fans.
24 hours after she was seen leaving a L.A. nightspot disheveled. Whitney Houston has passed away. The once shining star of the pop and R&B world had success not only with music but also films at the top of her career.
Better lit than 1972’s Ladies & Gentlemen The Rolling Stones, that DVD filmed over four nights in Texas during 1972’s “Exile on Main Street” tour, this “Some Girls Live” is from a Fort Worth, Texas from July 18, 1978. The two projects – with 6 years between them – provide a Texas-twosome of Stones performances that make for good analysis…as well as the general good old time we expect from Mick & the boys.
That Guitar from “Back Then” You Always Wanted! Every player dreams about the guitar or bass that lit the original fire to become a musician: a used Stratocaster like the one Hendrix played, or a used Les Paul like Jimmy Page’s, even a used Rickenbacker, just like the one John Lennon played. They’re all still out there! And you still want one, but where can you find it? 
Yes, that’s Van Halen. Not to be confused with the Van Hagar version of the band that clogged the 90′s with prom themes and mediocrity but the real deal.: The full-throttle, David Lee Roth led sonic explosion that fans have been waiting for since 1984. For the first time in 28 years (save a couple of throwaway tracks on a compilation) Eddie and Alex Van Halen have managed to get along with Roth long enough to produce a staggering return to form. It is a throwback to their classic sound and swagger and a welcome respite from a lot of generic pop tarts and emo bands currently on the airwaves. But is it any good? Departed vocalist Sammy Hagar, in his autobiography, painted Eddie Van Halen as a cash-strapped drunk who could barely stand, never mind play. So is this just a calculated cash-grab by the brothers VH or simply a bunch of old friends re-discovering their love of basic, balls-to-the-wall heavy rock? Let’s check the Scorecard: 
How many critics are going to clue in on the misnomer in the title, the Rolling Stones owning the trademark “Greatest Rock Band in the World” by eminent domain, if not hard fact. Indeed, it is hard to argue with Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and their longevity…staggering income, and timeless popularity as not the heirs to the throne, but those who had created it. Despite the “massive” popularity discussed in this documentary (listen to the “Flash Gordon” segment, and the quip against the critics), this critic remains steadfast that Queen is a great band for its specific niche, but the fans of Jimi Hendrix, Lennon & McCartney, Janis Joplin, The Doors and a variety of other major, major stars have a solid argument that, though Queen is a mighty force, it can hardly be considered the “greatest” rock & roll band in the world. To go down that avenue is to ignore the legacy of Freddie Mercury…it is a bit insulting to his memory, in my opinion… 
